Security to play big role in building back Zamboanga after siege

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Security consideration plays a significant role in building back better a district in Zamboanga City affected by the bloody siege of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels under Nur Misuari, the country’s disaster chief said.

Undersecretary Alexander Pama, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), said based on their post assessment, the recommendation is not only to build strong resettlement but also a security platform in the affected areas.

The four villages– Mariki, Rio Hondo, Sta. Barbara and Sta. Catalina– were located in the coast east of this city and adjacent to the city government and business centers.

Pama said their recommendation is to approach the situation in a more holistic way rather than focus solely on the natural disaster aspect. He said the calamity that struck here was man-made when more than 500 MNLF followers of Misuari struck on the eve of September 9 and triggered more than three weeks of gunbattle.

The siege left more than 200 people dead, over 120,000 people dislocated and more than 10,000 houses devastated and razed by series of huge fires in between bloody gunbattle.

“I believe it is now prudent when we build back a better community, security considerations will have to play a significant role,” Pama said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has already committed in putting up military headquarters in the area to prevent similar attempts in staging attacks. 

Pama, during his stint as commander of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao, also recommended the establishment of the remote radar system in the coast of the sieged area to complement the coast watch system that will monitor the movement of the watercrafts in the waters of the east coast.

The islands off the coast used to be a notorious location as jump off points of various threat groups and rebels, including the Abu Sayyaf, in staging kidnapping and smuggling activities.